Food tray

ABSTRACT

A food tray adapted to be removably located in a predetermined position in a compartment is provided having a tray body and a fixed movable stop member. The tray body includes a first end and a second end, a bottom and a sidewall structure defining a volume. The fixed movable stop member is located at one end of the tray body and is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. When the tray is inserted in the compartment in the predetermined position, the fixed movable stop member is in the extended position and restrains further insertion of the tray into the compartment. A method of making a food tray in accordance with the invention is provided. Also provided is a method of storing food within a food tray to be contained in a pass-through compartment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a food tray adapted to be removably located ina predetermined position in a food holding compartment that may be usedto keep food heated or cooled. The food tray of the present invention isparticularly suited for use in, for example, heated compartments used inquick service restaurants to store cooked food product, for example.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Quick service restaurants face a number of conflicting factors whenstriving to efficiently provide fast, palatable, and safe food. First,the customers expect to receive their food quickly, with a minimum ofdelay and with predictable and constant high quality. Moreover, the rateof customer demand varies over time, with some periods, such as lunchand dinner times, having extremely high rates of customer demand.However, the kitchens of many quick service restaurants are of limitedsize and/or production capacity and thus necessarily have a limitednumber of food cooking devices.

To meet the often competing factors of quick service and consistent highquality, it is advantageous for one individual to cook a relativelysubstantial amount of food product in bulk and store the cooked foodproduct in food trays while another individual food preparer transfersfood from the trays to a sandwich bun or individual portion sizedcontainer, for example, to fill customer orders. Typical food productsthat are of most interest to have readily available for food preparersinclude sandwich fillings such as hamburger patties, breaded fishfillets, Canadian bacon, pork sausage, eggs, and breaded chickenpatties, for example, as well as other products, such as chickennuggets, biscuits, muffins, and hotcakes.

Because these prepared food products are not being served immediatelyupon preparation, it is critical to store the food product so as tooptimally maintain the appearance, taste, temperature and texture of thefood product, as well as minimize bacterial contamination of the storedfood product.

A need exists for an improved food tray and a method of using the foodtray that optimizes, without any significant adverse effects, theappearance, taste, temperature and texture of the pre-cooked bulk foodproducts, as well as minimize bacterial contamination of such storedfood products. In addition, a need also exists for a food staging devicethat promotes efficient food handling and use of space within thekitchen of the quick service restaurant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, an improved food tray andmethod for use in connection with a compartment, and preferably in aheated pass-through compartment, for holding ready-to-serve food productis provided. When used in combination with a compartment of desirableconfiguration, the food tray is particularly useful for storing over anextended period of time cooked sandwich fillings such as, for example,hamburger patties, fish fillets, Canadian bacon, pork sausage, eggs, andchicken patties, chicken fillets as well as other types of food,including chicken nuggets, biscuits, muffins, and hotcakes. Theappearance, taste, temperature and texture of the stored food items maybe maintained over extended storage periods while also minimizing riskof bacterial contamination.

In one aspect of the invention, a food tray is provided which is adaptedto be removably located in a predetermined position within acompartment. The food tray includes a tray body and a movable stopmember. The tray body includes a first end, second end, a bottom, and asidewall structure. The bottom and sidewall structure define a volume orcavity for the food tray within which food product can be stored. A stopmember is located at one end of the tray body and is movable between aretracted position and an extended position. The stop member is adaptedto engage a portion of a compartment when the tray is inserted into thecompartment in the predetermined position to restrain further insertionof the tray into the compartment. The predetermined position ispreferably the position wherein the food tray is fully inserted withinthe compartment and wherein further insertion of the tray is restrainedunless the user applies a force on the tray in excess of a thresholdforce which moves the movable stop member from an extended position to asubstantially retracted position. Preferably, the stop member has anupturned portion comprising the stop member and has an inclined portionoriented to face the tray body. Preferably, the stop member has a homeposition in which the stop member is in an extended position.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the tray body mayinclude a longitudinal extent at one end of the tray body wherein atleast a portion of the longitudinal extent includes a stop member andalso defines a handle. Preferably, the longitudinal extent includes adepressed peripheral portion which defines a gripping portion on thelongitudinal extent.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the traybody includes an integrally formed longitudinal extent with the traybody which includes a stop member. Preferably, the food tray is formedfrom plastic, but alternatively may be formed from any other “food safe”material.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, thefood tray includes a first longitudinal extent at one end of the trayand a second longitudinal extent depending from the opposite of thetray. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second longitudinalextents are each generally horizontally disposed on the food tray. Inanother embodiment, each of the first and second longitudinal extents isgenerally vertically disposed on the food tray. Both longitudinalextents are preferably integrally formed with the tray body from plasticor any other suitable “food safe” material.

Additionally, each of the first and second longitudinal extentspreferably has located therein a stop member which is also preferablyintegrally formed with the longitudinal extent. Each stop member may beindependently depressed from the other of the movable stop members topermit passage of the food tray through a pass-through compartment.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, each movable stopmember comprises a spring-loaded tab. Typically, each spring tab isdefined by a suitable void, which may be a U-shaped void in the portionof the longitudinal extent adjacent the stop member and includes anupturned portion comprising the movable stop member. The void enablesthe spring tab to be depressed and thereafter return to its originalposition. Accordingly, each spring tab may move from an extended or homeposition to a retracted position and thereafter return to the extendedor home position. Preferably, each spring tab is also integrally formedwith the longitudinal extent in which it is located and may beintegrally formed with the longitudinal extent from plastic or any othersuitable “food safe” material. A spring tab could also be composed of amechanism attached to the tray.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method ofstoring food, preferably cooked food, within a food tray to be containedin a pass-through compartment is provided. Preferably, the pass-throughcompartment is a heated compartment having a passageway which extendsfrom an opening on one end of the heated compartment to an opening on anopposite end of the heated compartment. In one embodiment, each of thecompartment's openings includes a pair of opposed angled portions tofacilitate entry of the tray body into the compartment. However, it isto be understood that such angled portions are not necessary and thatthe structure of the movable stop member(s) of the food tray can be suchthat the stop member can move from an extended position to a retractedposition even when being inserted into a compartment having an openingwhich is substantially planar, as in a rectangular-shaped opening.

In one aspect of the method of the present invention, the methodincludes:

-   -   providing a tray having a tray body having a first end and a        second end, a bottom and a sidewall structure defining a volume        within the tray body, a movable stop member movable between        retracted and extended positions located at one end of the tray        body and adapted to engage a portion of a compartment when the        tray is inserted in the compartment in the predetermined        position to restrain further insertion of the tray into the        compartment, wherein a height of the walls of the tray body        exclusive of the stop member is less than the height of the        passageway of the compartment;    -   at least partially filling the cavity of the food tray with        food;    -   moving the stop member to a retracted position and inserting        said food tray into said compartment until the retracted stop        member exits the compartment and moves to an extended position        to locate the food tray such that the food tray is substantially        contained within the compartment.

In accordance with another aspect of the method of the presentinvention, the food tray includes a movable stop member on each of thetwo opposed ends of the food tray which are movable between the extendedand the retracted positions. When the food tray includes two movablestop members on opposed ends of the food tray, the predeterminedoperative position of the food tray relative to the compartment ispreferably defined by each stop member being located adjacent arespective end of the pass-through compartment. Once in thepredetermined operative position, the tray is restrained from movementout of the predetermined operative position without application of aforce acting on the tray in excess of a threshold force acting on one ofthe stop members.

In accordance with still another aspect of the method of the presentinvention, the method further includes moving one of the stop members toa retracted position at one end of the food tray by pulling the foodtray out of the compartment in a direction to cause one stop member tomove to the retracted position and pass through at least a portion ofthe compartment.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, themethod includes inserting one end of the food tray into the pass-throughcompartment to cause the stop member located at the inserted end of thefood tray to be moved to the retracted position. Preferably, the methodincludes thereafter passing one end of the food tray through thecompartment until the stop member of the inserted end travels throughthe compartment and out the other end of the compartment and moves fromthe retracted position to the extended position when the stop memberexits the compartment.

In a preferred embodiment, the movable stop member has an inclinedportion facing the tray body to facilitate movement of the stop memberto the retracted position when inserting one end of the tray into thepass-through compartment. In particular, the inclined portion may beforced against a member that is stationary relative to the compartmentto cause the stop member to be moved to the retracted position and topermit the portion of the tray having the stop member thereon to travelthrough the compartment.

There is also provided a method of making a food tray having a movablestop member in accordance with the present invention. The methodincludes:

-   -   forming a food tray body and a longitudinal extent at one end of        the food tray body;    -   forming a void area on three sides of a spring tab area of said        longitudinal extent; and    -   forming an upturned portion in the spring tab area of said        longitudinal extent to define said stop member.

Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description and from reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a food tray in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the food tray along line 6-6 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the food tray along line4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the food tray along line4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation view of the food tray along line 5-5of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional front elevation view of the food tray along line6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view along line 7-7 of FIG. 2 showinga depressed peripheral area defining a gripping portion on the food trayin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of along line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side sectional view along line 7-7 of FIG. 1showing a finger engaging the gripping portion of the handle of the foodtray;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a food staging devicehaving a plurality of pass-through compartments and a plurality of foodtrays located therein in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cut-away side elevation view of the food staging device ofFIG. 10 having a plurality of heated pass-through compartments;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view of the food tray along line 4-4of FIG. 2 showing a stop member entering an opening of a pass-throughcompartment in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of the stop member of FIG. 12moving from an extended position to a retracted position as the foodtray is inserted within the pass-through compartment;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view of the stop member of FIG. 12moving into its predetermined operative position within the pass-throughcompartment;

FIG. 15 is a cut-away side elevation view of a food tray moving into itspredetermined position within a pass-through compartment in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a cut-away side elevation view of the food tray of FIG. 15 inits predetermined operative position defined by each stop member of thefood tray being located adjacent a respective end of the compartment;

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary, perspective view of another embodiment of afood tray in accordance with the present invention having a generallyvertically disposed longitudinal extent and stop member;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary top plan view of the food tray of FIG. 17located within a pass-through compartment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and described in detail herein,several specific embodiments with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as exemplifications of the principles ofthe invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theembodiments illustrated.

Referring to the figures generally and in particular to FIG. 1, a foodtray 10 according to the present invention is shown generally as havinga tray body 12 and movable stop members 14A,B. Tray body 12 includes afirst end 16, a second end 18, a bottom 20, and a sidewall structure 22.Bottom 20 and sidewall structure 22 define a volume 24 within tray body12 within which food items can be stored. First end 16, second end 18,bottom 20, sidewall structure 22, and movable stop members 14 are allpreferably integrally formed from plastic, but alternatively may beformed from any other suitable “food safe” material.

Typically, tray body 12 also includes a first longitudinal extent 26depending from first end 16 which defines a handle 28A for tray body 12and a second longitudinal extent 30 depending from second end 18. Secondlongitudinal extent 30 may also define a handle 28B for tray body 12.Preferably, first longitudinal extent 26 and second longitudinal extent30 are each generally horizontally disposed on tray body 12 such thatfood tray 10 can be easily maneuvered in and out of a compartment havingsubstantially planar upper and bottom surfaces as will be discussed indetail further below. Additionally, food tray 10 typically includes alip 31 which extends substantially around the entire periphery of traybody 12, including first longitudinal extent 26 and second longitudinalextent 30.

As shown in FIGS. 7-9, handle 28 preferably includes a depressedperipheral area 32 which defines a gripping portion 34 for food tray 10.As shown in FIG. 2, handle 28A preferably includes two depressed areas32A-B which defines gripping portions 34A-B. FIG. 9 particularly showsgripping portion 34 of depressed peripheral area 32 engaged by thefinger of a user.

As shown in FIG. 1, food tray 10 includes at least one movable stopmember, and preferably includes two movable stop members 14 A,B: a firstmovable stop member 14A located on first longitudinal extent 26 of traybody 12 and second movable stop member 14B located on secondlongitudinal extent 30 of tray body 12. Each stop member 14A,B ismovable between an original, extended or home position 36, as shown inFIGS. 3-5, and a retracted position 38, as shown in FIG. 14. Stopmembers 14A,B are adapted to engage a portion of a compartment, andpreferably an upper portion of the compartment, when food tray 12 isinserted into the compartment in a predetermined position 40 to restrainfurther insertion of food tray 10 into a compartment.

Predetermined position 40 is preferably the position wherein food tray10 is fully inserted within a compartment as shown in FIGS. 15-16, andwherein further insertion of food tray 10 is restrained unless the userapplies a force on tray 10 in excess of a threshold force which wouldmove one of stop members 14A,B from extended position 36, as shown inFIGS. 3-5, to a substantially retracted position 38, as shown in FIG.14. Further, when food tray 10 is in its predetermined position, volume24 of food tray 10 is substantially contained within the compartmentsuch that the texture, taste, and temperature of the stored food itemsare maintained.

As exemplified by stop member 14A illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, each movablestop member 14A,B preferably includes an upturned portion 42 whichdefines the movable stop member. Upturned portion 42 includes aninclined portion 44 which faces volume 24 of tray body 12, a radiusedtop edge 46, and a substantially vertical rear portion 48. As such,movable stop member 14A can easily be depressed from an extendedposition 36 to a retracted position 38 and thereafter return to extendedposition 36 when abutted against a fixed surface 37. Preferably, movablestop members 14A,B are integrally formed with tray body 12 from plasticor any other suitable “food safe” material. As shown in FIGS. 5-6,upturned portion 42 of stop members 14A,B extends vertically abovelongitudinal extents 26 and 30 of food tray 10.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, in a preferred embodiment of food tray 10,each movable stop member 14A,B comprises a spring tab 50 wherein eachspring tab 50 is movable from extended position 36 to retracted position38 and back to extended position 36. Preferably, each spring tab 50 isdefined by a U-shaped void 52, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, in theparticular one of longitudinal extents 26, 30 on which spring tab 50 islocated. In FIGS. 2 and 8, spring tab 50 is located on firstlongitudinal extent 26, for example. U-shaped void 52 enables movablestop member 14A, for example, to be moved from extended position 36, asshown in FIGS. 3-5, to retracted position 38, as shown in FIG. 14, whendepressed. Alternatively, movable stop members 14A,B may include anyother structure which enables the movable stop members to move from anextended position to a retracted position and return to the extendedposition.

Another embodiment of a food tray 100 in accordance with the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 17-18. Food tray 100 includes a tray body102 having a first end 104, a second end 106, first side wall 108, andsecond side wall 110 which collectively define a volume 112 for traybody 102. Volume 112 comprises an opening 114 in top portion 116 of foodtray 100. In this embodiment, either or both of first side wall 108 andsecond side wall 110 include a first longitudinal extent 118, preferablyintegrally formed therewith.

FIGS. 17-18 illustrate first longitudinal extent 118 depending fromfirst side wall 108 such that longitudinal extent 118 is generallyvertically disposed on tray body 102. Preferably, food tray 100 includesa first and a second longitudinal extent, each having a movable stopmember disposed thereon. Further, longitudinal extent 118 includes amovable stop member 120, preferably also integrally formed therewith. Toenable stop member 120 to engage a portion of a compartment wheninserted therein to locate food tray 100 in its predetermined position,stop member 120 extends outward beyond first side wall 108 of food tray100. Thus, in this embodiment, food tray 100 typically does not includea lip which extends around a perimeter of food tray 100 as describedabove. Stop member 120 is movable between a home or extended positionand a retracted position as described with respect to stop members14A,B, except that stop member 120 is vertically oriented.

In accordance with the present invention, there is also provided amethod of storing food within a food tray to be contained in apass-through compartment. The method promotes freshness of the foodproduct by ensuring the stored food product has minimal exposure toambient air. Moreover, the method promotes efficiency in restaurantsettings by enabling individual workers charged with the task ofproviding food items to the food tray and workers charged with the taskof removing the stored food items to fill customer orders equallybeneficial access to the stored food product.

As shown in FIGS. 10-11, a food staging device 200 having a plurality ofheated compartments 202A-D is provided for storing at least one, andpreferably a plurality of food trays 10A-C in accordance with thepresent invention. Each of compartments 202A-D is preferably heated andeach of compartments 202 A-D preferably include a passageway 204A-Dwhich extends from a first opening 206A-D on a first end 208A-D of eachcompartment 202A-D to a second opening 210A-D on the opposite second end212A-D of each compartment 202A-D. In one embodiment, each of theopenings 206A-D and 210A-D of heated compartments 202A-D include a pairof opposed angled portions 214A-D and 216A-D to facilitate entry of anyone of food trays 10A-C therein. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos.6,119,587, 6,209,447 and 6,607,766 for a more complete description ofthe general construction and operation thereof.

Each of compartments 202 A-D is bounded by an upper heated compartmentsurface 218A-D and a lower heated compartment surface 220A-D, as shownin FIG. 11. Upper heated compartment surfaces 218A-D and lowercompartment surfaces 220A-D are preferably constructed from a materialhaving a high thermal conductivity and preferably are constructed fromanodized aluminum. Moreover, each of upper heated compartment surfaces218A-D and lower heated compartment surfaces 220A-D are substantiallyflat and substantially horizontal to provide uniform heat transfer toany one of food trays 10A-C stored therein and to enable easy sliding ofany one of trays 10A-C along the surface of lower heated compartmentsurfaces 220A-D.

Each compartment 202A-D may contain one or more food trays 10A-C inpredetermined operative position 40 such that trays 10A-C optimallystore food product, and preferably cooked food product. Each of foodtrays 10A-C has a height 54 defined by the distance between top surface56 of lip 31 and a lower edge 58 of sidewall structure 22. For each foodtray 10A-C, height 54 is less than a height 223A-D of compartment 202A-D into which trays 10A-C are to be inserted. In other words, height 54of each tray 10A-C is chosen so that height 54, which does not take intoaccount height of movable stop members 14A,B, is at a predetermineddistance 60 from upper compartment surfaces 218 A-D when trays 10A-C areplaced within any one of compartments 202A-D so that vapor transfer outof the volume 24 of trays 10A-C is minimized, thereby also minimizingthe fluid loss of the cooked food portions in trays 10A-C. Suchminimization of fluid loss is critical for cooked food stored in trays10A-C, such as egg products, hamburger patties, grilled chicken, porksausage and Canadian bacon to maintain the appearance, texture,temperature, and taste thereof.

The method of storing food within one of food trays 10A-C within apass-through compartment 202A-D includes initially filling volume 24 ofone of food trays 10A-C with food, and preferably cooked food, such ashamburger patties, fish fillets, biscuits, Canadian bacon, pork sausage,eggs, chicken patties, chicken nuggets, to be stored over extendedperiods of time. When food is stored within one of trays 10A-C, one ormore workers charged with providing food items to be stored in foodtrays 10A-C may have access to food trays 10A-C on a first side 222 offood staging device 200, as shown in FIG. 10, while one or more workerscharged with removing food items from trays 10A-C to fill customerorders may be located on a second side 224 of food staging device 200.Moreover, each individual on first side 222 or second side 224 of foodstaging device 200 is able to selectively pull any one of trays 10A-Cout and away from compartments 202A-D and reinsert the selected trayinto its predetermined position 40 where food within the selected trayis optimally stored.

Once any one of food trays 10A-C is filled with the desired food items,the user may insert food trays 10A-C into any one of compartments202A-D. In one embodiment, as is also shown in FIG. 11, each of openings206 A-D and 210 A-D of the heated compartments 202 A-D includes a pairof opposed angled portions 214 A-D and 216 A-D to facilitate entry of afood tray 10 therein. It is understood, however, that although movablestop members 14A,B will extend vertically above the vertical plane oflongitudinal extents 26 and 30 as shown in FIGS. 3-6, each of thecompartments' openings 206A-D and 210A-D need not have an angled openingto enable any one of food trays 10A-C to be inserted within any one ofcompartments 202 A-D. Openings 206 A-D and 210 A-D may in fact besubstantially planar because movable stop members 14A,B are designedsuch that upturned portion 42, including radiused top edge 46, may bemoved from extended position 36 to retracted position 38 when stopmember 14 is forced against a member that is stationary relative to anyone of compartments 202 A-D, such as relatively planar upper heatedcompartment surfaces 218 A-D of compartments 202 A-D.

When in retracted position 38, the portion of food tray 10A-C having oneof stop members 14A,B thereon may travel through a selected one ofcompartments 202 A-D as exemplified by tray 10A entering compartment202A in FIGS. 12-14. In particular, FIG. 12 illustrates stop member 14Ain its extended position 36 entering first end 208A of compartment 202Ahaving portions 214A. FIG. 13 illustrates stop member 14A beginning tomove from extended position 36 to retracted position 38 as tray 10A istraveling through into compartment 202A. Further, FIG. 14 illustratesstop member 14A in retracted position 38 now traveling withincompartment 202A having an upper heated compartment surface 218A wherestop member 14A is in sufficient contact with upper heated compartmentsurface 218A such that stop member 14A is depressed to retractedposition 38 and can travel through compartment 202A in retractedposition 38.

As shown in FIG. 15, the user may continue to move food tray 10A throughcompartment 202A in the direction of arrow A until stop member 14A inretracted position 38 exits the compartment on second end 212A. As thefood tray 10 begins to exit out opening 210A on second end 212A, stopmember 14A begins to move from retracted position 38 to extendedposition 36. On the inserted first end 208A of food tray 10, the opposedstop member 14B from stop member 14A engages angled portions 214A ofopening 206A.

When stop member 14A substantially exits second opening 210A and stopmember 14A is substantially in extended position 36, stop member 14A islocated adjacent second end 212A of compartment 202A and stop member 14Bis located adjacent first end 208A of compartment 202A as shown in FIGS.15-16. Thus, food tray 10A is substantially contained within compartment202A. When each stop member 14A,B is substantially in its extendedposition 36 and each food stop member 14A,B is located adjacent arelative end 208A and 212A of compartment 202A, food tray 10A is in itspredetermined operative position 40 in compartment 202A. Predeterminedoperative position 40 is defined by each stop member 14A,B being locatedadjacent a respective end 206A-D and 210A-D of compartment 202 A-D. Inits predetermined operative position 40, food tray 10A is restrainedfrom movement out of predetermined operative position 40 in compartment202A without application of a force acting on the tray 10A in excess ofa threshold force acting on one of the stop members 14A,B which wouldmove one of the stop members 14A,B from extended position 36 toretracted position 38. Moreover, in predetermined operative position 40,volume 24 of food tray 10A is substantially covered by upper compartmentsurface 218A and substantially no part of volume 24 is exposed toambient air other than predetermined distance 60 such that theappearance, taste, temperature, and texture of food contained withinvolume 24 is maintained.

Subsequently, an individual on second side 224 of food staging device200 may pull first end 16 of food tray 10A out and away from compartment202A to access the previously stored food product in food tray 10A.Preferably, food tray 10A is pulled out and away from compartment 202Aby gripping depressed peripheral area 32 on first end 16 of food tray10A When first end 16 of food tray 10A is pulled out and away fromcompartment 202A, stop member 14B on second end 18 of food tray 10A ismoved from extended position 36 to retracted position 38 and may passthrough compartment 202A. Thereafter, when the sandwich preparer, forexample, is finished removing the food product from food tray 10A, tray10A may be pushed inward into compartment 202A to its predeterminedoperative position 40 where stop member 14A is located adjacent secondend 212A of compartment 202A and stop member 14B is located adjacentfirst end 208A of compartment 202A, as shown in FIGS. 15-16.

In the embodiment discussed previously, wherein food tray 100 includes astop member 120 and a longitudinal extent 118 which are substantiallyvertically disposed as shown in FIGS. 17-18, stop member 120 is locatedin its predetermined position within a compartment 300 by inserting foodtray 100 until stop member 120 is located adjacent and engages a sidewall 302 of compartment 300.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain preferredembodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is capable ofnumerous changes, modifications, and rearrangements without departingfrom the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the claims.

1. A food tray adapted to be removably located in a predeterminedposition in a compartment, comprising: a tray body having a first endand a second end, a bottom and a sidewall structure defining a volumewithin said tray body; a movable stop member, said stop member movablebetween a retracted position and an extended position and located at oneend of said tray body adapted to engage a portion of the compartmentwhen in the extended position when the tray is inserted in thecompartment in the predetermined position to restrain further insertionof the tray into the compartment.
 2. The food tray of claim 1 furthercomprising a second movable stop member movable between retracted andextended positions located at an opposite end of said tray body adaptedto engage a portion of the compartment when the tray is inserted in thecompartment in the predetermined position to restrain further insertionof the tray into the compartment.
 3. The food tray of claim 1 furthercomprising a first longitudinal extent at said first end of said traywherein at least a portion of said longitudinal extent defines a handlefor said food tray.
 4. The food tray of claim 3 further comprising asecond longitudinal extent depending from said second end of the tray.5. The food tray of claim 4 wherein said first and second stop membersare located in said first and second longitudinal extents, respectively.6. The food tray of claim 2 wherein said stop members comprise aspring-loaded tab.
 7. The food tray of claim 1 wherein said tray bodyincludes an integrally formed longitudinal extent with said tray body,and wherein said longitudinal extent includes said stop member.
 8. Thefood tray of claim 2 wherein each one of said stop members may beindependently depressed from said other stop member to permit passage ofsaid tray through a pass-through compartment.
 9. The food tray of claim3 wherein said stop member comprises a spring tab integrally formed insaid first longitudinal extent.
 10. The food tray of claim 2 whereinsaid stop members include an upturned portion comprising said stopmembers.
 11. The food tray of claim 6 wherein said spring tab is definedby a U-shaped void in said first longitudinal extent.
 12. The food trayof claim 4 wherein said first and second longitudinal extents aregenerally horizontally disposed.
 13. The food tray of claim 4 whereinsaid first and second longitudinal extents are generally verticallydisposed.
 14. The food tray of claim 1 wherein said stop member has aninclined portion that is oriented to face said tray body.
 15. The foodtray of claim 3 further comprising a depressed peripheral area defininga gripping portion on said longitudinal extent.
 16. A method of storingfood within a food tray to be contained in a pass-through compartmentcomprising: providing a tray having a tray body having a first end and asecond end, a bottom and a sidewall structure defining a volume withinsaid tray body, a movable stop member movable between retracted andextended positions located at one end of said tray body adapted toengage a portion of the compartment when the tray is inserted in thecompartment in the predetermined position to restrain further insertionof the tray into the compartment, wherein a height of the walls of saidtray body exclusive of said stop member is less than the height of thepassageway of said heated compartment; at least partially filling saidcavity of said food tray with cooked food; moving said stop member to aretracted position by inserting said food tray into said compartmentuntil said extended stop member abuts a portion of a structure that isin fixed relation relative to said compartment, and locating said foodtray such that said food tray is substantially contained within saidcompartment.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the food is cooked foodand the compartment is heated.
 18. The method of claim 16 wherein saidfood tray has a movable stop member on each of two opposed ends of saidtray movable between extended and retracted positions and said methodfurther comprises moving one of said stop members to a retractedposition at one of said ends by pulling said food tray out of saidcompartment in a direction to cause said one stop member to move to saidretracted position and pass through at least a portion of saidcompartment.
 19. The method of claim 16 wherein said movable stop memberhas an inclined portion facing the tray body and the method furthercomprises forcing the inclined portion against a member that isstationary relative to the compartment causing said stop member to bemoved to a retracted position permitting the portion of the tray havingsaid stop member thereon to travel through said compartment.
 20. Themethod of claim 18 said inserting one end of the food tray into apass-through compartment causes the stop member located at the insertedend of the tray to be moved to the retracted position.
 21. The method ofclaim 20 further comprising passing said one end of said food traythrough the compartment until the stop member at that one end travelsthrough the compartment and out the other end of the compartment, thestop member moving from a retracted position to an extended positionwhen said stop member exits the compartment.
 22. The method of claim 21further comprising locating said food tray in a predetermined operativeposition in said compartment defined by each stop member being locatedadjacent a respective end of the compartment.
 23. The method of claim 22further comprising restraining said tray from movement out of saidpredetermined operative position in said compartment without applicationof a force acting on the tray in excess of a threshold force acting onone of said stop members.
 24. A method of making a food tray having amovable stop member comprising: forming a food tray body and alongitudinal extent at one end of the food tray body; forming a voidarea on three sides of a spring tab area of said longitudinal extent;and forming an upturned portion in the spring tab area of saidlongitudinal extent to define said stop member.